244 • SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XXVII.
tiou of bis counsel, and the latter is promised here ; if we acknowledge God and declare our ways to him, God will counsel us. -And David did thus declare his way upon all occasions : 2 Sam. ii. 1, ' David inquired of the Lord, saying. Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah ? ' It is a piece of religious manners to begin every business with God ; to go to God, Lord, shall I do so, or shall I not ? to desire him that is Lord of all to give us leave ; who is the fountain of wisdom, to give us counsel ; and the disposer of all events, to give us a blessing.
3. The declaring of our ways is necessary, that we may be sensible of God's eye that is upon us, and so act the more sincerely. Certainly it is a great advantage to make God conscious to every business we have in hand, when we dare undertake nothing but what we would acquaint him withal. There are some to whom the prophet pro- uounceth a woe : Isa. xxix. 15, ' Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us ? and who knoweth us ? ' For the opening of this place, surely none can seriously be so vain, and grow up to such sottish atheism, as to think to hide a thing from God ; but they are loath solemnly to draw it forth in the view of conscience, to revive a sense of God's omnisciency upon themselves. We are said to deny that which many times we forget and will not think of. So that those which hide their counsels from God are those that will not take God along with them. In short, this declaration is not necessary for God, who ' knows our thoughts afar off,' Ps. cxxxix. 2 ; not only our words and works, but purposes, before we begin to lift up a thought that way. But this declaration is necessary for us, to increase the awe of God upon our heart, and that we may undertake nothing but what we will solennily acquaint the Lord with. Well, then, this declaring our ways is an act of dependence.
Secondly, By his luays may be meant all his straits, sorrows, and dangers ; and .so this declaring it is an act of holy friendship, when a man comes as one friend to another, and acquaints God with his whole state, lays his condition before the Lord, in hope of pity and relief. AVe have liberty to do so, to tell God all our mind : Heb. x. 19, ' Let us come with boldness, by the blood of Jesus ;' and Heb. iv. IG. The word signifies, with liberty of speech, speaking all to God, your whole state and condition ; if you have any sins to be pardoned, any miseries to be redressed; that where you are doubtful, you may be helped by God's counsel, Avhere you are weak, you may be con- firmed by his strength, where you are sinful, you may be pitied l>y his mercy, where you are miserable, you may be delivered by his power. This is holy friendship, to acquaint God with our doubts, wants, griefs, and fears ; and we may do it with more confi- dence, because we go to him in Christ's name : John xvi. 23, ' "W^iat- soever you shall ask the Father in my name, it shall be granted unto you.' It is no fiction or strain, but a real truth. Will Christ de- ceive us when he saith, Verily? And then ly/fafeoever you ask ? You have liberty to go to God for the removal of any fear, the granting any regular desire, or for satisfying any doubt : ' Whatsoever you ask the Father in my name.' Our prayers by this means are Christ's re- quest as well as ours. For instance, if you send a child or servant to
VeE. 26.] SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. 245
a friend for an3-thing in your name, the request is yours, and he tliat denies a child or servant denies you; so saith Christ, Go to the Father in my name. God cannot deny a request in Christ's name, no more than he can deny Christ himself ; therefore you may use a holy boldness.
Thirdly, By icays is meant temptations and sins ; and so this declaring is an act of spiritual contrition or brokenness of heart. Sins, they are properly our ways ; as Ezek. xviii. 25, the Lord makes a distinction between my ivays and your luays. God hath his ways, and we ours. Our ways are properly our sins. Now these, saith David, I will de- clare, that is, distinctly lay them open before God. Tiiis is a part of our duty, with brokenness of heart to declare our ways, to acquaint God fully how it is with us, without dissembling anything. It is a duty very unpleasing to flesh and blood ; natural pride and self-love will not let us take shame upon ourselves ; and out of carnal ease and laziness we are loath to submit to such a troublesome course, and thus openly to declare our ways. Guilt is shy of God's presence, and sin works a strangeness. Adam hid himself when God came into the garden ; and when he could shift no longer, he will not declare it, but transfers the fault upon Eve, and obliquely upon God himself; and ever since there are many tergiversations in man's heart ; and there- fore it is said. Job xxxi. 33, ' If I have covered my sin as did Adam.' Junius renders it more hominum — after the manner of men; but Adam's name is used because we show ourselves to be right Adam's race, apt to cover our sins. The same expression we have Hosea vi. 7, ' But they like men have transgressed the covenant.' In the Hebrew it is, like Adam ; so, if I covered my sin as did Adam, this is the fashion of men. Now, David brought his heart to this resolution with much struggling: Ps. xxxii. 5, '1 said, I will confess my sins ;' he forced himself, and thrust his backward heart forward by a strong resolution ; for we are loath to deal thus openly, plainly, and truly with God, being- shy of his presence, and would fain keep the devil's counsel, and come with our iniquity in our bosom. But though this is a troublesome dis- pleasing exercise to flesh and blood, yet it is profitable and necessary for us thus to declare our ways.